MK Dons see off Colchester as own goal decides contest

An own goal by Matt Macey decided the contest as MK Dons squeezed past Colchester United with a 1-0 win.

Colchester’s keeper was inadvertently credited with the only goal of the night as the Dons were able to get the win against the last side who beat them in League 2.

The Dons are now 14 games unbeaten in the fourth tier of English football, in a run stretching back to defeat to the U’s in Essex in the reverse game. Paul Warne’s side are 7 points above the play-offs and remain just 2 points behind leaders Bromley.

Having picked up victory in a promotion six pointer with Swindon, the Dons arrived playing a day after their rivals, with results elsewhere seeing Cambridge draw and victories for Bromley, Notts County, Salford and Swindon.

MK Dons had hoped to match that as they welcomed a Colchester side missing several key players due to injury, as well as having a plethora of former Dons in Jack Payne, Jack Tucker and Tom Flanagan at their disposal.

But it was the Dons’ own former Colchester man with the night’s first major chance. Alex Gilbey, who made his professional debut with the side from Essex, was picked out by a header across the box from a cross and the Dons captain duly hit a firm strike that cannoned off the top of the bar.

The hosts felt Colchester should’ve been reduced to ten men when Samson Tovide collided with Jack Sanders in a manner that left many to argue the Colchester man had used his elbow. As it was, the referee left it at a booking.

MK Dons nearly scored from the free-kick awarded after that incident, as a through-pass released Aaron Collins, whose drive went across goal and just wide.

Jon Mellish also came close for the Dons, with the wing-back received Collins’ lay-off and hitting a strike at goal that Macey did well to thwart.

Colchester nearly hit the Dons with a sucker punch, as the ball fell for Tovide, who had a shot from a good position blocked by Dons defender Luke Offord.

In the end, the game’s opening goal would come for MK Dons in the 39th minute and in scrappy circumstances. A cross picked out Ben Wiles, whose header hit the crossbar, and the loose ball seemingly fell on for Collins to tap in. However, Collins’ strike from close range hit the post, before striking Macey on the back and going back over the line.

The Dons nearly went 2-0 up in the closing stages of the half, with Macey making a good save to keep out a strike from Gilbey.

Initially, the half began with the Dons continuing to have chances, with Liam Kelly skewing a shot wide before Collins had an effort blocked by a covering tackle by Tucker.

As the half wore on, Colchester began to show more attacking impetus and a decent try came their way when Arthur Read’s effort took a deflection off Marvin Ekpiteta and only just went over the top of the Dons goal.

A few niggly tackles and run-ins had dotted the game, but threatened to boil over after Flanagan had a confrontation with Sanders, earning himself a booking, although the referee was able to calm things down.

Kane Vincent-Young would try a hit from a tight angle that hit the side netting, before the Dons had a moment when Scott Hogan saw a hit blocked by Tucker.

Some chances came the visitor’s way late on, with sub Will Goodwin heading wide before Payne cut inside and saw a low shot just crash wide.

But there was no way through for the U’s, allowing the Dons to take the win that makes it 4 in a row, as they maintain the pressure on leaders Bromley.

MK Dons: MacGillivray – Offord, Ekpiteta, Sanders – Jones (Nemane 88), Kelly (Lemonheigh-Evans 88), Crowley (Hogan 61), Mellish – Wiles (Nelson 71), Collins (Hepburn-Murphy 71), Gilbey

Subs not used: Trueman, Tomlinson

Goal: Macey (og 39)

Booked: Crowley, Sanders

Colchester: Macey – Hunt (Payne 64), Flanagan, Tucker, Terry, Vincent-Young – Barbrook (Akachukwu 73), Read – Lisbie (Williams 73), Tovide (Goodwin 64), Anderson (Edwards 73)

Subs not used: Gape, Back

Booked: Lisbie, Tovide, Flanagan, Payne